Seattle beaches have gone to the dogs

It was 86 degrees in Seattle on Sunday when my son and I decided to head down to South Lake Union to go for a swim. When we got to the beach, we saw this very confusing sign proclaiming “Dogs Not Allowed on Beach,” and at the same time another sign says you are supposed to “Obey Leash and Scoop Laws.”

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I’m bewildered. If dogs aren’t allowed on the beach in the first place, why would there need to be a leash or scoop law to enforce? By the way, another sign says that if you dare to bring your dog to the beach you’ll face a $500 fine.

We counted more than 60 dogs in and around the lake during our trip. There were dogs rafting and boarding, and swimming and fetching. We even saw a couple of the older dogs that had the audacity to sunbathe fully nude while sleeping. I think a few Great Danes may have even had some open containers of Alpo.

I must admit, it felt less like a beach for humans and more like a Seattle water park for dogs. If somebody wanted to put together a calendar called “The Dogs of South Lake Union,” this would be the spot.

And don’t think we didn’t see a few dogs relieve themselves. We saw a few humans do that too.

No diving or swimming?

There was a second perplexing sign we saw posted not once but three times, stating “There is No Diving or Swimming” at the beach. No diving or swimming? Why would humans and dogs head to the beach in the first place on a hot Seattle day? I would imagine it would be to dive and to swim!

Well, we hit the trifecta. There were lots of dogs, there was a tremendous amount of diving (my son was one of the divers so we broke some laws too), and we saw a lot of swimming! So much swimming!

And if the Seattle “Fun Police” are reading this, I saw a few other laws and rules being broken too.

Every single bikeshare rider did not have a helmet on, did not announce that they were “on the left” when passing, and I rarely heard the bell you are supposed to ring to get another rider’s attention. I did hear a few “What’s up Bruh’s,” and “Hey, you are running in the bike lane!” which I often do. I think Seattle’s “Helmet Law” might be a bit unenforceable at this point.

On a more serious note, I often see African Americans cited for open container laws specifically at beaches. There were a ton of open containers in South Lake Union and a lot of drinking going on. But no citations were being handed out.

That’s a micro-aggression I am trying to pay more attention to in my own life. No, it’s not white guilt to those of you in the comment section below (I know it’s coming). I’m just trying to have another perspective.

Finally, the reason you are not supposed to swim at the beach at South Lake Union is so the float planes have a place to land and so the boats all have room to dock. (That was explained on another bewildering sign). Seems a bit elitist to me. If you have a boat or can afford a ride on a float plane the beach is yours, but if you are aa young family just starting out and you are looking for some beach access, you either have to have a boat, a plane, or a tent (because I saw plenty of homeless campers with ample beach access. You’ve seen it too).

I hope you had a great weekend. And I’ll take a swim with the dogs versus humans anytime. At least they really know how to doggie paddle.

See you on the radio at 3 p.m.

~ don